The Good Collar
"The Good Collar" is the fifth episode of Miami Vice's third season. The episode premiered on October 24, 1986. Summary Crockett uses a high school football star, busted for distributing, to catch a 15 year old drug dealer. Plot Crockett & Tubbs are observing a young man at a payphone outside the Zodiac club looking a little nervous, so Crockett goes to check it out, the youngster asks Crockett if he's "Tootie", Crockett plays like he is, and the man shows Crockett a bag of drugs, Crockett shows his badge and arrests him. Just then a group of gangstas drives by, tells them not to deal on Apostle turf, Tubbs backs Crockett up, the gangstas scatter, all but one who Tubbs runs down, and discovers the man he caught is Officer Ramirez (Nick Corri), working for the Metro Gang division. Switek & Crockett discover the arrestee is 17-year-old Archie Ellis (Vincent Keith Ford) and the drugs he has is heroin. Crockett wants Switek to stall the paperwork until he can check with the Metro Gang unit. Tubbs is speaking with Ramirez when his Lieutenant Ray Atkins (John Spencer) stops by and they exchange notes about how the club owner was observing drug deals on that phone, and how the gangs were becoming problems for the community, who are afraid to take out their garbage without checking whose turf it is. Crockett stops by to show the evidence, the heroin is so pure the kids in the area are dying from heroin overdoses, at least four in the past month, and a gang, the Regular Fellas from the Overtown area, is moving the stuff. The Fellas are present in most of the high schools in the area, except Tamiami High, which is where Ramirez is located and the Apostles run it. The Fellas have around 500 underage members currently, their leader is a 15 year old named Curtis "Count" Walker, who has a chauffeur-driven limo (since he's not old enough to legally drive, as are half the members). At OCB, Ellis is being questioned by Crockett & Tubbs, who tells them he didn't know what was in the bag until Crockett opened it, that he isn't in any gang, that the car the heroin was in belongs to his friend Luther, and he wanted the money to buy football shoes, as he plays wide receiver for Eastside High (and is all-City in football and track--running a 9.6 100 yard dash), and Ellis is concerned his principal will boot him off the team if he finds out about the arrest. The money was to be delivered to Luther the next day. The boy's budding football career hits home with Crockett (who also had a football career in his youth) and agrees to not tell his principal about the arrest--''IF'' he helps the Vice cops. Then Ed McCain (Charles S. Dutton) from the Overtown Youth Rehab Project, and for whom Ellis' grandmother works for, stops by and wants to see Crockett privately. McCain tells Crockett that Ellis is no hardcore drug dealer, that he didn't know about the shoe problem and if he did he would have taken up a collection, that Ellis is too proud to ask for help. Crockett agrees to speak with Castillo (who walked by and requested his presence in a meeting with Atkins). Atkins shows pictures of Walker, Luther and Ralph Mayberry, all are in the Fellas and are suspected of being behind the distribution of heroin. Crockett & Castillo agree to let Ellis walk in exchange for taking the package of heroin to Luther so they can bust Luther for possession. Ellis complies, saying the Apostles tried to rip him off, but Luther wants a man named Otis to check it out in an alley. Crockett & Tubbs follow them back and Otis comes out shooting, Crockett shoots him down, Ellis is OK, and the police raid Luther's hangout and arrest Luther. In the hangout they find two dead youngsters from overdoses, and an unruly crowd. Atkins and State's Attorney Pepin (Terry Kinney) are there as well, Pepin agrees to give Ellis a total walk with no strings attached. At OCB, they are questioning Luther who denies everything, including Count Walker (though there is a tape showing a message on Luther's machine from Walker), and doesn't mind going to jail, because Pepin is going to try the underage Luther as an adult. Crockett & Tubbs are going to meet Walker, though both Atkins & Pepin say they won't get anywhere near Walker because they're "too old". Walker (Samuel Graham) goes around the 'hood, doing deals, roughing up those that cross him, and throwing money at young kids, when Crockett & Tubbs catch up to him outside a grade school, and it turns out Atkins & Pepin are right, because the ones over 18 years old are easier to talk when faced with jail time, and they all are cops to him. Crockett goes to see Ellis and finds McCain and Crockett lets him know that Ellis gets a walk for helping them, he also meets Ellis' grandmother and takes Ellis some money for his shoes and gave him the ball he ran a screen pass 95 yards in the Gator Bowl as a wide receiver himself, and will attend his game the following Thursday. En route to the court hearing for Luther, Ramirez calls Crockett and asks him to meet at a lunch stand for some important info, they call Pepin and inform him they will miss the hearing. Ramirez tells them (quietly to maintain his cover) that the Apostles plan to give Walker a gasoline bomb and that tipping Walker off may get them on the inside. Just as Ramirez leaves with the Apostles, someone on a nearby bridge shoots off a grenade launcher that blows up the car, injures Tubbs inside the stand, and sets an ice cream truck driver on fire. Crockett rushes out to save the driver, but Ramirez is badly injured and the other Apostles are dead. Crockett gets a call from McCain saying Ellis was arrested again, and Crockett drives to Eastside High, site of a near riot after the deaths, and where Pepin is trying to talk Ellis into wearing a wire to get Walker. Crockett is furious that Pepin is giving Ellis a choice--wear the wire and try to get incriminating evidence on the OD's, giving him a murder one rap, or take Ellis in on trafficking and Walker on conspiracy (since they found Walker's prints on the heroin package) and taking back Ellis' free walk. Castillo arrives but doesn't feel it will do any good to kick it upstairs, so Ellis agrees to wear the wire, despite Crockett & McCain warning him of the dangers. Crockett tells Ellis he'll change his testimony to ensure Ellis can't be charged for the trafficking but Ellis, showing great maturity for his age, tells Crockett not to as he doesn't want anyone lying for him. McCain and Pepin get into a shouting match over Ellis wearing a wire, as McCain is solidly against it, but Ellis again agrees to the wire, knowing it could kill him. Atkins came by the school and said Ramirez died in surgery. At OCB, they wire Ellis up and let him know what to say. Ellis goes through with his end, but Walker takes him in the limo, Ellis gets Walker to confess about giving Luther the drugs, but Walker becomes suspicious as to all the questions, and they discover the wire and shoot Ellis, the Vice squad busts Walker but Ellis dies in Crockett's arms, and Crockett goes ballistic. Crockett goes to pay his respects but is not invited in by McCain, and Ellis' grandmother throws his Gator Bowl football at him in digust. Atkins stopped on the street to let Crockett know that Walker's bust has cleared all the gangstas off the streets. Crockett, knowing Ellis' death wasn't completely in vain but still distraught over what happened, throws his Gator Bowl ball in the trash. "Ripped From The Headlines" In this episode, the problem of gangs, gang violence and child drug dealers (which was just getting into the public conscience at that time) is explored. Notes * Count Walker plays the system well, knowing those under 18 won't likely go to adult jails, a problem that still exists today, though adult prosecution of juvenile crimes (especially violent crimes) has increased recently. * Charles S. Dutton plays a cynical NYPD lieutenant in the Season 2 opener "The Prodigal Son" * Castillo gives his classic stare-down to Pepin for going backside on his deal with Crockett and putting Ellis' life in danger on a long shot. * Nick Corri (real name Jsu Garcia) returns in the Season 4 episode "Badge of Dishonor". * This episode, like "Killshot", ends in a very violent and nihlistic way, with a major character in the episode getting killed. Music *"Condemned" by One Way (playing on boom box when Ellis takes package to Luther) *"How Much Did You Get For Your Soul" by The Pretenders (Walker in the 'hood) *"Picture Book" by Simply Red (End sequence where Ellis is killed and Crockett faces his family) Quotes *"The last batch I tested was 80% pure heroin..ten times more than what kids need for their wonder years!" -- Switek to Crockett *"I'd cut him a deal just so I wouldn't have to chase him!" -- Crockett after learning Ellis runs a 9.6 100 yard dash *"Fifteen years old, two inches of money, thinks he can buy the world!" -- Crockett about Walker Category:Miami Vice Season 3 Episodes